Recipe of the week : Linzer cookie recipe with its history along with some odds and end image’s of Lancaster county.

Linz is the third largest city in Austria. Beautifully bifurcated by the Danube River, Linz was originally founded by the Romans. Later it served as a provincial city of the Holy Roman Emperor. With a current population of nearly 200,000, Linz is diametrically known for its steel and chemical industry as well as its endorsement of music and art. It is also the home of the beloved PEZ candy. Originally marketed in Vienna in 1927, PEZ candy and the even more famous PEZ dispensers are popular worldwide. Indeed, the dispensers have become a notable collector’s item.

Linz has had a number of well known inhabitants including Johannes Kepler, the famous astronomer who pioneered the laws of planetary motion and defended Copernicus’s theory that the earth revolved around the sun. Another was Adolph Hitler who thought everything revolved around him.

On a more tasteful note, Linz is the reputed home of the renowned Linzertorte. A Linzertorte is a tart made of a rich buttery dough accentuated by almonds, lemon zest, and cinnamon. The tart is traditionally filled with black currant preserves and topped with a lattice crust. In America, raspberry has replaced black currant as the jam of choice. Linzertortes are a traditional European Christmas pastry, a custom that is now enjoyed in the US as well.

The Linzertorte is one of the oldest known tarts with a recipe discovered in an Austrian abbey from 1653. Johann Konrad Vogel (1796-1883) is credited with first mass producing it while Franz Holzlhuber, an Austrian émigré who worked as a baker, is recognized for introducing it to America around 1856.

Linzer cookies employ the same recipe as the Linzertorte but instead the dough is cut into cookies and two of them form a sandwich around the preserves. Moreover, the top cookie has a small cutout in its center (known as Linzer eyes), thus exposing the underlying jam and adding to the visual appeal. While the traditional cutout is circular, all sorts of shapes, such as hearts, are also popular.

I’ve been using the terms “jam” and preserves” interchangeably but technically they are not the same. Jam and preserves are both cooked mixtures of fruit, sugar and sometimes pectin. The difference is preserves contain chunks of fruit where in a jam the fruit is purred. And while we’re at it, a conserve is a cooked mixture of fruit, nuts and sugar. Jelly, is an uncooked mixture of fruit juice, sugar and sometimes pectin. Any one of these four concoctions can be used to make your Linzer cookies.

LINZER COOKIES

(makes about 18)

• 8 oz. (two sticks) butter

• 6 oz. sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 ½ cups cake flour

• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• 1 cup ground almonds (or hazelnuts if you prefer)

• Raspberry jam, as needed

• Powdered sugar, for dusting, as needed

In an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time, then the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together and then mix with the ground almonds. Gradually add the combined dry ingredients to the wet ones in the mixer until fully combined. Divide the dough into two balls, wrap with plastic and rest in the refrigerator for one hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the balls of dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness, (depending on the size of your board you may need to divide the balls in half again and do four batches). Next, cut out 2-inch diameter rounds with a cookie cutter. With a smaller cutter, in the shape you desire, cut out the centers of half the cookies. These will be the tops. If you wish you can combine all the scraps and re-roll for a few extra cookies. Place the cookies on greased or parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them to prevent them from overcooking. Ovens vary and 12 minutes is a guideline. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Spread some of the jam on each solid cookie. Top each cookie with the halves with the cut-out center. Dollop a little more jam into the hole. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.Linzer tart history and recipe published with permission from www.foodreference.com. Cookie Image from Kern Justin of Flickr. Richard from Amish Stories

I almost deleted this image because i pretty much missed this shot, but decided to save it

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Don’t miss my post this Friday of Lancaster county with some really nice images from last month, with a few recipes.

Great info on this recipe ! I have heard of them just didnt know the history thanks for sharing it all ! Cookies look yummy . Love the car photos as well. I love old vintage / muscle cars ! Have a great day !

Good Morning, I love the pictures of those Linzer. I have never had them. Also, love the pictures of the cars. Have a soft spot for the model A because my brother use to have one and it was his pride and joy.Marilyn

This recipe of the week is longer than usaual,so because i had some extra images from over the summer that was just sitting around on my computer with no place to go. So since its now the end of the year i thought id just add those to this post before they got buried with some of my other stuff. Enjoy the recipe folks and ill be back later in the day. Richard

Today is my dog Rickie's 11th birthday. He is a long haired chihuahua and is a cancer survivor. I was told two years ago he cancer and not long to live and he is here. The cancer is spreading, but it doesn't seem to both him. He eats and plays just like he always did. I saw that it is the good Lord and lots of love that keeps him going.Marilyn

I loved the car show with history, a recipe and a touch of simple homey feel that draws me closer when I read. I am one that loves each snippet of information-Thanks for taking the time once again to brighten my day(awful aren't I to totally pretend this was just for me:) but you sure do make my heart happy when I visit.Jennifer

Hi Richard and Marylin! Wow what a recipe! sounds great. I have never seen them or tasted any. Maybe I will give it a try?? LOL. Marylin, I am so glad that your lil guy is doing so well. I am sure he is the apple of your eye.(0: I hope your apartment problems get fixed quick. I know It is cold there and you stay warm. Have a blessed day everyone ~Lissa

What a delightful and interesting blog this is. I have always found the Amish way of life so inspiring and this blog will enable me to learn more. There is a programme on tv here for a few weeks where some young British people live with Anmish families, it is such an interesting insight. Thanks for this, I will return soon.

The Linzer cookies look great… Thanks for the recipe… I may try this one.Love seeing the OLD cars. I learned to drive on my Dad's 1950 Pontiac many years ago… It looked similar to some of the cars in your photos.Betsy

Hi Richard, thank you for dropping by my blog and wishing me happy holidays! It is always nice to meet other bloggers. I shall come back for a visit. The cookies look delicious and thank you for that history of Linz.

Hi Richard and Lissa,Thank you for Rickie's Happy Birthdays-he is the apple of my eye. They are remodeling our apartments-at least they held on the inside until after Christmas and New Years. We are all happy that we are finally getting remodeled. They are nice apartments, but when they get done they'll be more modern.Marilyn

Just signing off from Amish Stories as i was tweaking some of the Christmas post's. And Marilyn i hope the little guy hi a fine day and had his trip to the donut shop. I recieved a few pictures from Lissa of her shoo-fly-pie and it looks really good, so i think that she made it the correct way. I hope that they dont raise your rent Marilyn after they renovate your apartments! Well my eye are getting tired so good night everyone and thanks for your visit today. Richard

Just wanted to thank you for dropping by "Happy Days", I appreciate it and hope you'll come by again. We have friends and relatives in Lancaster and Lititz. What a beautiful area!! I could move to either town in a heart beat! Is the car show the one at Hersey's? We've been to that too. My hubby is a great car nut. One summer vacation we spent visiting all the silly named towns around Lancaster looking at the sites and all the beautiful, beautiful farms. I love those little tarts! Thanks for the recipe! I willl have to try it, making it with Blackberry jam…our favorite! I'm not a fan of Shoo Fly Pie unless it's real gooey. We have a friend who brings us 2 when she comes this way. Enjoyed your posts. I read back several days. Hope you'll visit again soon! …debbie

Hi Richard,They might raise the rent, but they can't do mine until October, 2012 because that's when my lease renews. Our apartments are government subsidized so they can only go so high. This renovation was suppose to have been done years ago-but they changed owners. They promised to do it-but they didn't. The current owners have owned it for over 5 years and done nothing. Our village building inspector flunked them on the building inspection. So the village ordered either they do the renovations or the village will close us down. It was threat because they don't have any place in our village to put us 97 apartment people. Also our apartments are one of the highest tax payers in our town, but it's getting us our renovations. I saw Lissa's shoo-fly pictures. They are great. You are a great baker, Lissa.

Thanks for stopping by Debbiethis car show was not in Hershey, just a local classic car show that i went to in Lancaster. Although i did go to that huge car show at Hershey's this summer and i have lots of pictures from that i have yet to post! Richard

Hey Cat and Annesphamily thanks ladies for dropping by, and your right Cat those were the days which reminds me i need to get a float sometime. Anyone remember Carvel ice cream stores, they made great root beer floats! Richard

Thanks for the complements guys! I just have to much fun baking (0;. I have been baking my own bread too and when we run out everyone complains. hehe I think I have spoiled my kids. Oh well that's what Grandmas are for right? Blessings~ Lissa

I don't really know exactly how much we made, I will ask some one. Most of it was put up for the communion service that will be held in the spring. What was left is what we got if we wanted. All I know it was alot! ~Lissa

Well Lissa i never had a problem with a lot, not when it comes to good food! Will you be giving some away as holiday gifts maybe, i know someone in Florida who makes wine and gives it as a gift. He even has his own label which he slaps on to give it that nice touch! Richard